AK4395 vs. AK4396 listening comparisons

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sendler

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Joined 2004
mysite.verizon.net/vze4c5pt/id2.html
Silver mica and piggy backs

Radian said:
Hi Scott,
did you try to parallel the Daytons with a very small silver mica like 2-5nf?
It worked for the better with any cap I tried.

Also, did you try to parallel Ak439X dacs?
Alex Peychev of APL did this in all his dacs and
they are rated best among the best.
I got a sound card with four 4396 on it and
I wounder if I should give paralleling a try.

Klaus
Click to expand...
I have some silver mica caps that I bought for an amp project that I never used. I will give them a listen next time I get the chance.
.
I have actually tried to piggy back three AKM dac chips but the legs aren't quite long enough to reach down to the next chip so it would require adding some fine wires between the legs which is really too much trouble. I had even started a design for a new board that would parallel three chips and then connect to the main board at the stock pads but never finished it. piggy backing dac chips does improve the sound reportedly and was all the rage when the pcm1704 was popular with high end manufacturers even doing it in production.
 
cromodora

cromodora

Member
Joined 2005
sendler said:
I like the direct out mod with caps and am lucky enough to have the Dayton foil caps available for cheap in the USA. Try 2-4uf.
Click to expand...
Hi Sendler,

Thanks for the informative review.

Can you pls share how you send direct out w/o transformers to single ended?
Do you just put cap in series to the two "+" outputs?

I'd like to try direct out (bypassing all opamps and filter) from my Emu 0404 PCI soundcard which has the AK4395 DAC.
 
S

sendler

Member
Joined 2004
mysite.verizon.net/vze4c5pt/id2.html
Cap coupled direct out

cromodora said:
Hi Sendler,

Thanks for the informative review.

Can you pls share how you send direct out w/o transformers to single ended?
Do you just put cap in series to the two "+" outputs?

I'd like to try direct out (bypassing all opamps and filter) from my Emu 0404 PCI soundcard which has the AK4395 DAC.
Click to expand...

Yes. Just send the plus out through a cap to block the 2.5v dc that is on the output of the dac chip. I leave the minus open or, you can just leave it terminated as it is on the stock circuit.
 
terranigma

terranigma

Member
Joined 2007
sendler said:
I like the direct out mod with caps and am lucky enough to have the Dayton foil caps available for cheap in the USA. Try 2-4uf.
Click to expand...

I'm using PC sound card with 4 AK4396 dacs which Radian has also. I completely cancelled out analog part, then tapped + - balanced outputs direct from each dac chip to the LM3875 power opamp's - + input between only 2K %0.1 hi quality resistor. No cap, no pot, no opamps (instead LM3875 itself).
 
Y

YohY

Member
Joined 2009
sendler said:
I have actually tried to piggy back three AKM dac chips but the legs aren't quite long enough to reach down to the next chip so it would require adding some fine wires between the legs which is really too much trouble. I had even started a design for a new board that would parallel three chips and then connect to the main board at the stock pads but never finished it. piggy backing dac chips does improve the sound reportedly and was all the rage when the pcm1704 was popular with high end manufacturers even doing it in production.
Click to expand...

Scott - Not wanting to come across as a simpleton or anything, but is it really as easy as that..literally, mechanically piggybacking each chip on top of the next? :scratch: Will the decoupling ic's already present on the pcb be enough despite the extra array of ic's ?

Thanks,
-Andy-
 
S

sendler

Member
Joined 2004
mysite.verizon.net/vze4c5pt/id2.html
Piggyback

YohY said:
Scott - Not wanting to come across as a simpleton or anything, but is it really as easy as that..literally, mechanically piggybacking each chip on top of the next? :scratch: Will the decoupling ic's already present on the pcb be enough despite the extra array of ic's ?

Thanks,
-Andy-
Click to expand...

I was never able to rig the chips piggyback so I haven't evaluated any other concerns that may pop up although others have done it and didn't report any problems.
 
Y

YohY

Member
Joined 2009
piggyback here I come !

Wow.

I gotta have me sum of that !
Glad I ordered a few of them 4395's now... :D

Obviously, as you said, the physical linkage of the chips does create an obstacle, but I reckon with a bit of patience (an for the sake of experimentation) I'd have a crack at that. Watch this space peeps!! :eek:
 
Y

YohY

Member
Joined 2009
awpagan said:
Just proves, you've got way too much spare time:p

Allan
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Allan, I've been on hols this past 6 weeks. Here's a definition of Irony - I go back to work tomorrow ! lol
Ah, I'll fit it in somehow :scratch2:. I have to wait for the ic's to arrive first anyway.
It's just great to know I'm starting off with a well designed chip in the first instance. I see Alex Peychev does the same kinda thing in his Esoteric cdp's with the newer 4397 quad chip (!)

For sure, I'll post some pics up..no prob :nod:
-Andy-
 
Y

YohY

Member
Joined 2009
sendler said:
I was never able to rig the chips piggyback so I haven't evaluated any other concerns that may pop up although others have done it and didn't report any problems.
Click to expand...

Scott -

How does this grab ya ??
SSOP_2_DIP-28pin.jpg

:cool:

-Andy-
 
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